The field of the invention relates generally to machines for changing a tire on a wheel rim, and more specifically to tire changing machines having force detection, position detection and control capability.
The process of removing a tire from a wheel rim and replacing it with another tire, referred to herein as tire changing, can be difficult. In response to such difficulties, machines have been developed to facilitate the tire changing process. The machines commonly include a clamping mechanism and a drive mechanism that rotates the wheel rim about an axis. A bead breaker tool exerts pressure on the tire adjacent the wheel rim to break the tire bead seal, and a tire removal tool, which may be either manually inserted by a machine operator or integrated into the machine itself, is used to pull the bead of the tire off the wheel rim as the wheel rim is rotated, allowing the tire to be separated from the rim for removal. Manual or machine implemented tools are also utilized to press the tire onto the wheel rim for installation. While known machines have obtained some level of success in reducing the time and labor associated with changing a tire, there remains room for improvement.